S*P*Y*S (1974)

Two spies end up being chased by the C.I.A., The K.G.B., and a group of anarchists after a botched mission invoked an unwritten "corpse for a corpse" pact.

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

Lawrence J. Cohen, Fred Freeman

Stars:

Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Zouzou

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elliott Gould	...	Griff
Donald Sutherland	...	Bruland
Zouzou	...	Sybil (as Zou Zou)
Joss Ackland	...	Martinson
Xavier Gélin	...	Paul (Revolutionary)
Vladek Sheybal	...	Borisenko (Russian Spy Chief)
Michael Petrovitch	...	Sevitsky (Defector)
Shane Rimmer	...	Hessler
Kenneth Griffith	...	Lippet
Pierre Oudrey	...	Revolutionary (as Pierre Oudry)
Kenneth J. Warren	...	Grubov
Jacques Marin	...	Lafayette
Jeffry Wickham	...	Seely (as Jeffrey Wickham)
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Croft
John Bardon	...	Evans

Storyline

In 1974, flanked by such filmic monuments to paranoia and corruption as Chinatown and The Parallax View, Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland tried to re-create the screwball nonchalance of their earlier M*A*S*H performances in this lightweight spy spoof, directed by Irvin Kershner. Gould and Sutherland play two CIA agents-Griff and Bruland-who are marked for death by their own agency after botching the defection of a Russian ballet dancer (Michael Petrovich). As they repeatedly mess up their assignments and wriggle out of tight corners, they not only find themselves pursued by the CIA, but also by the KGB, the Chinese Communists, and a terrorist group that wants to destroy the CIA.

---

Plot Keywords:

hare krishna | espionage | spy spoof | spy | spoof | 

---

Taglines:

Before Austin Powers, before Johnny English, there were S*P*Y*S!

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's S*P*Y*S (1974) promotional title logo mimicked the one from M*A*S*H (1972) in that there were star " * " characters inserted between the four letters of the movie's name. This was a marketing gimmick to connect this new Elliott Gould - Donald Sutherland starring film S*P*Y*S (1974) with their earlier one M*A*S*H (1972) which had been a big hit at the box-office.

---

Goofs

During the car chase, when Bruland (Donald Sutherland) is supposedly driving from the back seat, the car does a 180 in reverse and a brief shot from outside shows the actual driver is driving and not Bruland, and you can see his arms spinning the steering wheel.

---

Quotes

Bruland: The Chinese are quiet, right? The Russians are quick, and we're sloppy.

---

Connections

Referenced in Inside S*P*Y*S (2007)

---

Soundtracks

America the Beautiful
(uncredited)
Written by Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward
Performed by Joss Ackland and Donald Sutherland

User Reviews

Nowhere as bad as the user ratings imply

SPYS is an aggressive laugh out comedy in the tradition of the old "Road" pictures that never really works. It has no real plot so to speak and relies on the chemistry of the lead actors of which there is plenty for its appeal. Wise cracks fly aplenty and barbs of witticism fill the air. This hit movie which was released in 1974 feels like a movie from the 80s. There is a certain fluidity of camera and mis-en-scene that MTV brought to the eighties movies that permeates the aurae of this movie. It feels like a 1985 movie SPYS and the likes that ruled the beat-box era. Laughs ring true after a very strong start but even a plot less seems or needs to deceive the audience into thinking it has a direction. The plot is silly if not confusing and just happens and the french actress Zuzou who was also a popular singer isn't very good. She just complicates matters. In all, not great but the ending is bitter-sweet and sharp on the money. You wish the movie itself had that kind of vive de joie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1974 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

S*P*Y*S

Filming Locations:

Lee International Studios, Kensal Road, Kensal Town, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Film Properties, Dymphana, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1